Electric railway.



No. 675,038. Patented May 2a, 1901.

P. FABNSWORTH.

ELECTRIQBAILWAY.

I (Application filed May 31, mm. (N0 Modei.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

Witnesses: Jnventor:

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Patented May 28, IBM.

P. FABNSWORTH; ELECTRIC RAlLWAY.

(Application Med May 31, 1

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Witness es No. 675,038. Patented May 28, I901. P. FARNSWURTH.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

(Application filed May 31, 1900.) (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Witnesses 1 firm/enter.

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iJhllTED terns ATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP FARNSWORTH, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW "YORK.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,038, dated May 28,1901.

Application tiled May 31, 1900. serial N0.18,503. N0 modeLJ T0 (tZZ whmn1 25 nut/y concern:

Be it known thatI, PHILIP FARNswoRTH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways, (CaseNo. 1,709,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric railways; and its object is toprovide a cheap safe commercial road which is very simple inconstruction.

Inasmuch as the objections to series coils.

or combinations of series and shunt coils for controlling the switcheswhich connect the feeder with the sectional service-conductor of safetysystems have proved to be so great that it has been found impracticableto use them in such systems, an object of this invention is to provide arailway wherein the only switchcoils are in shunts to ground around thecarmotors from conductor-sections which are ongaged by the collectorcarried by the car.

A further advantage resulting from this invention is that only a singlesectional serviceconduotor is used, whereas in most of the previouscommercial systems an auxiliary sectional conductor has been utilizedfor the operation of the shunt switch-coils, as in the patent toOrehore, No. 536,828. Thus ensues a saving of fifty per cent. in thecost of service-conductor studs or rails, and since the insulatingstructure for the auxiliary rail in sectional third-rail systems isdispensed with, as well as the rail itself, there results a saving ofmore than twenty-five per cent. in the total cost of service and trackrails.

A further advantage consists in the fact that whether the invention isapplied to a spot or slud system or to a third-rail system it isgenerally necessary that only three of the studs or rails be bridged bythe collector.

Furthermore, the invention can be applied in such manner that a smallernumber of the shunt-coils need be' used, which is of great advantage, asthe cost of these coils and their switches is not small. The inventionis also much more simple than previous similar systems and provides agreater number of feedersections relative to the number of pick-upsections and permits the use of a shorter collector, which is of greatimportance in streetcar work.

In general it may be said that the system possesses great flexibility inadaptation to varying conditions, and many other advantageous resultswill flow from its application to different types of railways.

According to custom, a battery will be provided on each car or train tostart the latter from a dead section, the track-rails will generallyconstitute the ground or return, and the collector is electricallyconnected with the motors on the car.

Figure l is a diagrammatic illustration of a stud system, showing acollector of nearly the length of the car. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the applicability of the invention to a railway, such as anelevated road, upon which trains of cars are run and wherein the studsof Fig. 1 are replaced by sections of rail, and the collector, insteadof being along shoe,is composed of two interconnected shoes, each ofwhich bridges two adjacent sections. Fig. 3 is a similar viewillustrating the flexibility of the system and showing an increasednumber of studs with the same number of switches. Fig. 4- is a similarview further illustrating the applicability of the invention torailroads where long cars or trains are used and the fact that the formof the collector may be varied for different conditions Withoutexceeding the limits of the invention. Fig. 5 is a similar viewillustratingau embodiment of the invention which has a reduced number ofswitches, and Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating the application ofthe arrangement shown in Fig. 5 to a thirdrail system. Throughout thedrawings the energized sections are shaded.

The invention will be most readily tinderstood by reference to theparticular embodiment shown in Fig. l. The sections P, which areconnected to ground through the two coils O, alternate with the sectionsF, which are connected to the feeder or main M through two consecutiveswitches S. Suitable resistances will be inserted between the pick-upstuds and the coils, according to custom, to prevent too great a flow ofcurrent. It may be assumed that the collector C, shown in engagementwith the feeder-sectionsF and F and with the pick-up section P, is beingcarried to the right by the car. After it has left the section F themotors will receive current through the section F alone. Then thecollector engages with the pick-up section P whereby current is shuntedaround the car-motors from the section F through the collector and thecoils O and O to ground, thus closing the switches S and S and makingsection F alive. Immediately thereafter the collector leaves the pick-upsection P, thereby opening the switches S and S but although the sectionF is thus disconnected from the feeder at the switch S it continues tobe energized through the switch S which has already been closed, asdescribed. The collector then engages with the feeder-section F whichhas already become energized by the closing of switch S as described,and the collector again receives current in parallel from two sections,which are in this case sections F and F Assuming that the controller ofthe car has been reversed and that the car is started in the oppositedirection to thatlast described, the collector will first leave thefeeder-section F, thus receiving current through the section F alone,which is connected with the feeder by the switch S which is closed whilethe shoe is in engagement with the pick-up section P The collector thenengages with the pick-up section P, thereby closing the switches S and Scurrent being shunted around the car-motors to ground from the sectionF. Immediately thereafter the collector leaves the pick-up section Pwhereby the switch S is opened. The feeder-section F remains energized,however, owing to its connection with the closed switch S The collectorthen engages with the feeder-section F, which is energized by itsconnection with the closed switch S and the collector is again in theposition shown and receiving current from the feeder-sections F and F inparallel, the switches S and S being held closed by the currents shuntedfrom the sections F and F toward the center of the collector to thesection P and the coils O and O to ground.

A careful observation of Fig. 1 will make it clear that the system wouldbe operative in each direction with only one coil connected to a pick-upsection if a collector bridging four sections instead of three wereused; but, even so, with the high speeds attained in modern practice thecollector might be carried from a power-section before it had energizedthe next power-section, and hence it is necessary to employ two coilsconnected with each pick-up section forcontrolling the powersectionsadjacent to the pick-up section in order to provide ample time allowancein each direction. In Fig. 5 is shown an application wherein sufficienttime allowanceis obtained by a single coil by means of a longercollector.

The operation of the application illustrated in Fig. 2 is substantiallythe same as that just described. The studs are replaced by short lengthsof rail, and two interconnected collectors C and C are provided.Although short rail-sections and a single car are shown, this figureillustrates the applicability to railways over which long trains arerun. The rail-sections may be of the standard sixtyfoot length, and thecollectors O and C may be located at the proper part of the train andconnected by a train-wire. In connection with this figure it may beremarked, with respect also to the other figures, that it is notnecessary that the sections of the service-conductor be arranged in astraight line. As convenience or necessity may dictate they maybelocated in any suitable positions with respect to each other, as thepick-up sections in one row interrupted by long spaces and thefeeder-sections in another row also interrupted by long'spaces. In sucha case the collectors would be arranged in echelon. Such an irregulararrangement might be necessary in certain cases to prevent shortcircuits by leakage from the feeder-sections to the pick-up sections. Inthe position shown the shoe 0 engages the feeder-section F and thepick-up section P and the shoe 0 engages the pick-up section P and thefeedersection F, so that the motors are receiving current from thefeeder-sections F and F in parallel, and current is shunted from eachshoe through the pick-up section P and the coils O and O to ground tohold the switches S and S closed, whereby the feedersections F and F areenergized. Assuming that the car is moving to the right, the shoe 0leaves the feeder-sectionF, the shoe C leaves the pick-up section P, andthe motors receive current through the feedersection F and shoe 0 alone.Current is shunted from the car-circuit through the shoe 0 to keep theswitches S and S closed. Then the shoe 0 engages the pick-up section Pthereby shunting current from the car-circuit to close the switches Sand S by passing to ground through the coils O and 0 Thus thefeeder-section F is caused to remain energized after the shoe 0 has leftthe pick-up section P, and the feeder-section F is energized in advanceof the shoe G which is about to engage it. The motors will now bereceiving current from the shoe 0 alone, and current will be shuntedthrough the shoe C and section P'-. -In the next position the motorswill receive current through the feeder-sections F and F in parallel.Assuming that the controller is reversed and the car driven in theopposite direction to that last described, the shoe 0 leaves thefeeder-section F the shoe 0 leaves the pick-up section P and the motorsreceive current from the feeder-section F alone current beim shuntedfrom the car-circuit to ground through the shoe 0 and section P to holdthe switch S closed. The shoe 0 next engages the pickup section P",whereby current is shunted to ground through the coils O and O to closethe switches S and S so that the feeder-section F remains energizedafter the shoe C has left the pick-up section P and the feedersection Fis energized in advance of the shoe (3, which is aboutto engage it.Finally, the

shoe O engages the feeder-section F, the shoe 0 engages the pick-upsection P, and the collector is in the position shown.

In Fig. 3 is shown an application of the invention wherein the studs orsections are arranged alternately; but the feeder studs and sections areconnected together in sets, as are the pick-up sections. If in thisapplication the studs are arranged more closely together than before, ashorter collector may be used, whereas if the sections are not locatedmore closely together than before a smaller number of switches isrequired. In an application such as this shownin Fig. 3 and also inother cases where several sections are alive at one time the arrangementshould be such that at no time should live sections be exposed beyondeither end of the car or train. The operation of the applicationillustrated in Fig. 3, being similar to that of applications previouslydescribed, may easily be studied out by tracing the circuits as the carprogresses.

In Fig. 4 is shown an application of the invention which illustratesanother of the varied collecting devices which maybe used with theinvention. The particular arrangement herein shown is well adapted fortrainwork, the various shoes being arranged at the proper parts of thetrain and connected together by train-wires. The switches andconnections are similar to those hitherto described, and the operationis substantially the same. In the position shown the motors arereceiving current from the feedensections F and F in parallel throughthe shoes 0 and O and current is being shunted from the conductor whichconnects shoes 0 and C with the motors through the shoes C and O andpickup sections P and P, respectively, to maintain the switches S, S, S,and S closed. As the car progresses to the right the shoe C leaves thepick-up section P, whereby the switches S and S are opened. Then themotors receive current through the shoes 0 and C from the sections F andF, current being shunted from the car-circuit through the shoes C and (Jand the section P to keep the switches S and S closed. When the shoe 0engages with the pick-up section P to close the switch S and energizethe feeder'section F in advance of the shoe 0*, the motors receivecurrent i hrough the shoes C and C" from the section W, current beingshunted from the car-circuit through the shoes and O to hold theswitches S S S, and S closed. The shoe next engages the previously-emergized section F, the shoe 0 being on the feeder-section F and currentbeing shunted from the car-circuit through the shoes G and C and thesection P to hold the switches S and S closed. The operation in theopposite direction is similar.

In Fig. 5 is shown another manner of cansing one of the sectionsconnected with a sh untcoil lo control preceding and succeeding sectionswhich are connected with the feeder. Instead of two ground-shunts fromthe pickup sections a single coil controls the switch connections ofboth the preceding and succeeding feeder-sections, whereby aconsiderably smaller number of switches is required. The collector O inthe position shown in Fig. 5 is taking current from the section F andshuntingthrough the coilO to hold the switch S closed. As the carproceeds to the right the switch S is held closed by current shuntedfrom the U-M'-Cll0l1ll7 through the section P after the collector hasleft the section P. The collector engages the section P closing theswitch S and energizing the section F before it leaves the section F.When the collector engages the section F it takes current from thesections F and F in parallel, and

it leaves the pick-up section P whereby theswitch S is opened before itengages the pickup section succeeding the sect-ion F The operation inthe opposite direction is similar. This arrangement, wherein thesections F and F are maintained alive by the engagement of the collectorC with the section P is especially applicable to roads where a leadingmo tor-car draws a trailer or smoking-car, which would cover thesections F and F until the collector left the section P The arrangementwould be operative in both directions, with the collector bridging onlythree sec tions, if a section be inserted between sec tions P and F andconnected with the section P.

In Fig. 6 is shown an application to a thirdrail system of thearrangement shown in Fig.5. If the rails be only of the standardsixty-foot lengths, it is obvious that there is only one switch for eachone hundred and eighty feet of road-bed. With short sections of railthis arrangement would be advantageous for street systems, since onlyonesection is alive behind the collector. In fact, were the railsections ofFig. (5 replaced with studs there would result an excellent arrangementfor single-car street traflic with a slight increase over the number ofswitches in the arrangement of Fig. 6. In the position of thecolleetorshown all the sections illustrated are alive, the motorsreceiving current from the shoes C, C and C in parallel with thesections F and F current being shunted from the carcircuit through theshoes C and C to the sections P and P to hold the switches S and Sclosed. As the car proceeds to the right the shoe 0 leaves the sectionP, the switch S opens, and the sections F and F are disconnected fromthe Feeder. The shoe C now supplies current to the motor and to theshunt from the car-circuit around the shoe C to keep the switch Sclosed, whereby sections F and F are connected with the feeder.

During this time the shoe 0 is traveling overlIC and current is shuntedaround the car from both the shoes through thecenter shoe C to keep theswitch S closed. The operation in the opposite direction is similar.

I might show other forms which my invention may take without exceedingthe scope thereof; but I believe that sufficient has been described, inconnection with the appended claims, to define the limits of theinvention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

1. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of anormally-dead sectional service-00nductor,individual alternatingsuccessive sections of which areconnected by parallel branches to thefeeder and return respectively, a switch for each of said feederbranches, a coil in each of said return branches, and a collectorcarried by the car whereby current passes from a previouslyenergizedsection, and in shunt to the carcircuit through the two coils in theparallel branches to return from one of said sections, to close theswitches which connect both adjacent sections with the feeder.

2. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of anormally-dead sectional service-conductor, connections between eachalternate section thereof and the feeder, connections includingswitch-coils from each intermediate section to return, and a collector,which, when it engages with one of the sections connected to the returncauses current to be shunted from thecar-circuit through theswitch-coils in the return connect-ions, whereby both sections adjacentto said returnsections are connected with the feeder.

3. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, ofnormally-dead sectional service-conductor sections, includingelectromagnetically-operated switches between alternate sections thereofand the feeder; connections in shunt around the car-motors, andincluding switch-coils, from the intermediate sections to return, eachcoil operating a switch which connects one section with the feeder; anda single collector adapted to engage all the sections and connected toone side of the car-motors, whereby each section connected to returncontrols the connections of a plurality of sections connected with thefeeder.

4. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of anormally-dead sectional service-conductor, connections between sets ofinterconnected sections thereof and the feeder, a switch for the feederconnections for each set, and a connection in shunt around thecar-motors and including a magnet-coil, from a section intermediate thesections of a set to the return.

5. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of anormally-dead sectional service-conductor, connections between sets ofalternate sections throughout the length of the conductor and thefeeder, switches for said connections, and connections in shunt aroundthe car-motors and including switchcoils, from the intermediate sectionsto the return.

6. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of anormally-dead sectional service-conductor, connections between sets ofinterconnected alternate sections and the feeder, switches for saidconnections, and connections including switch-coils from sets ofintermediate interconnected sections to the return.

7. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of anormally-dead sectional service-conductor, certain sections of whichhave electromagnetically-controlled connections with the feeder, andcertain other sections of which have return-shunts around the car-motorswhich include magnet-coils, whereby each of the latter sections controlsthe feeder connections of the immediately-preceding section andimmediately-succeeding section.

8. In an electric railway the combination with the feeder, of anormally-dead sectional service-conductor, certain sections of whichhave electromagnetically-controlled connec tions with the feeder,certain other sections of which have return-shunts around the carmotorswhich include magnet-coils, and a collector carried by the car wherebywhen the collector engages with only one section connected to return,two or more successive sections having feeder connections are energized.

9. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of anormally-dead sectional service-conductor, parallelelectromagnetically-controlled connections from each of certain sectionsto the feeder, and return-shunts from other sections around thecar-motors, which shunts include the magnet-coils.

10. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of a singlenormally-dead sectional service-conductor, the sections of which are alllocated in alinement, electromagnetically-controlled connections betweencertain sections and the feeder, and magnetcoils connected with othersections in shunt to the carmotors, whereby each of the latter sectionscontrols the feeder connections of preceding and succeeding sections.

11. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of a singlenormallydead sectional service-conductor, the sections of which are alllocated in alinement, electromagnetically-controlled connections betweencertain sections and the feeder, and returnshunts around the car-motorsfrom other sections, which shunts include magnetcoils, whereby each ofthe latter sections controls the feeder connections of preceding andsucceeding sections. I

12. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of anormally-dead sectional service-conductor, a plurality of interconnectedsections of which conductor are adapted'to be connected with the feeder,and other sections of which have a return-shunt around the car-n1otors,which includes a magnet-coil for connecting said interconnected sectionswith the feeder.

13. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of anormally-dead sectional service-conductor, a plurality of interconnectedsections of which conductor are adapted to-be connected with the feeder,and a plurality of interconnected sections of which are connected inshunt to return around the car-motors, which shunt includes a magnetcoilfor connecting said first-mentioned sections with the feeder.

14. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of anormally-dead sectional serviceconductor, a plurality of interconnectedsections of which conductor are adapted to be connected with the feeder,and a plurality of interconnected sections of which have a return-shuntincluding a magnet-coil for connecting said first-mentioned sectionswith thefeeder, each section connected with the feeder being locatedbetween two sections connected to return, and vice versa.

15. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of acollector carried by the car, a single normallydead sectional conductor,and switches for connecting the latter with the former, each of certainconductor-sections being connected to a plurality of switches, eachswitch being connected to a plurality of such sections, and theremaining sections being connected to shunts around the car-motors toreturn, whereby when such a shunt is closed by the engagement of thecollector with both a section connected to the feeder and a section inthe shunt, a switch is closed to connect a plurality of feeder-sec-'tions with the feeder.

16. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, ofpower-conductor sections, connections between said'sections and thefeeder, electromagnetic switches in said connections, switchenergizingconductor-sections located in alinelnent with the powerconductorsections and connected to return through the coils of theswitch-magnets, and a plurality of collector-shoes comprising the carcollecting device, which are arranged in tandem, to engage the line ofpower and switch energizing conductor sections, and which are allconnected with one side of the car-motor circuit, whereby a portion ofthe current flowing to the motor is shunted to return through the switchcoils, to connect the power-conductor sections with the feeder.

17. An electric-railway system, which has a single sectional conductormade up of feedersections and switch-energizing sections arrangedalternately in alinement, switches for connecting the feeder-sectionswith the feeder, two connections from each feeder-section to twosuccessive switches, two connections in shunt to the motor-circuit fromeach switchenergizing section to the return, and a coil in each of saidlatter connections, which two coils control two successive switches, oneof which switches is connected to the feeder-section which is located inone direction with re spect to the switch-energizing section to whichthe coils are connected, the other of which switches is connected to thefeeder-section which is located in the other direction with respect tosaid switch-energizing section.

18. An electric-railway system, which has a single sectional conductormade up of feedersections and switch-energizing sections alternatelyarranged in alinement, switches which connect the feeder-sections withthe feeder, and return connections in shunt to the carmotors from eachswitch-energizing section, which connections contain coils for actuatingsaid switches.

19. A sectional conductor for electric railways, which comprisessections each connected in shunt to the car-motors to two electromagnetswhich control feeder-switches, and which comprises also sections eachconnected to two switches controlled by said electromagnets, each of thelatter sections being located between two of the first sections, and allsaid sections being located in single line.

20. A contact system for electric railways, which comprises a singleline of conductorsections connected alternately, one to the feederthrough two switches and the other through two switch-coils in shunt tothe carmotors to the return.

21. In an electric-railway system, the combination with the feeder, of asingle line of conductor-sections, switches for connecting certain ofthe latter with the former, coils in shunt to the carmotors foractuating the switches, said conductor-sections being connectedalternately, one to two switches and the other to two coils, and acollector carried by the car, connected to the car-motors, and adaptedto connect three of said sections.

22. An electric-railway system, which coinprises a feeder or main and asingle line of feeder and energizing-conductor sections, a car-collectorwhich engages with all said sections and connects eachenergizing-section in a shunt from a feeder section around the carmotorsto return as the car proceeds, and suit-,

able electrical connections whereby each energizing-section controls thesupply of current to a plurality of feeder-sections.

23. An electric-railway system, which comprises a feeder or main and asingle line of feeder and energizing-conductor sections, a car-collectorwhich engages all said sections and connects each energizing-section ina shunt from a feeder-section, around the carmotors to return as the carproceeds, and suitable electrical connections whereby eachenergizing-section controls the supply of current to a feeder-section oneach side of it.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of May,1900.

PHILIP FARNSWORTH.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, MAUD R. MAY.

